Cusack checks into horror in haunted-hotel-room yarn

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, June 21, 2007

A man who makes his living staying overnight in supposedly haunted places, the better to debunk them in the books he writes? This sounds like the plot of an old Abbott and Costello movie, or maybe the kind of job Elvis would have in one of his pictures.

But no, this is the premise of “1408,” a new film based on a Stephen King story. John Cusack plays an embittered former novelist who now writes cheap haunted-house books, and he’s found the Holy Grail of spooky hotel rooms.

It’s Room 1408 in Manhattan’s Dolphin Hotel. As the stern hotel manager, played by Samuel L. Jackson, explains to Cusack during his check-in, the room has been responsible for more than 50 deaths.

Their conversation, over expensive liquor in Jackson’s burnished office, is one of those fun horror-movie scenes that set the table in a really satisfying way. Of course, then the film has to deliver. Which, for a while, it does.

Cusack defiantly checks into Room 1408 and quickly realizes that something is awfully screwy about the place. For one thing, the clock radio turns on at random moments, blaring the Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun.” That’s enough to scare anybody into believing that evil exists.

Soon enough, Cusack is trapped inside a creaking, oozing nightmare. Worse, the room seems to know his weaknesses, evoking tragic memories involving his wife (Mary McCormack) and daughter.

This room has more supernatural elements than the lethal motel room in the recent “Vacancy,” which had a much more earthbound explanation. Actually, one thing I liked about “1408” is that it offers no actual source of its terrors – no hidden Indian burial ground lying beneath the foundation.

“1408” is engineered by Swedish director Mikael Hafstrom (he made the uneven “Derailed”) to drive Cusack crazy, and I guess Hafstrom succeeds, although the movie is too busy for its own good.

Still, give it credit for some peppy dialogue and a few earned scares. The big plus is Cusack, who brings credibility and commitment to the role of the cynical writer. Cusack usually plays it cool, so it’s nice to see him forced into a full freakout for a change.

Alas, “1408” wears out its welcome, although a couple of late twists work well. The movie feels more like an exercise than an authentic horror show. It’s the kind of thing that will give opening-weekend audiences a wild ride, but it won’t be remembered a week later.